Royai 100 Themes
by flipomatic
Summary: From angst to fluff to tears to joy, it is all here. Royai 100 themes challenge. Drabbles/oneshots/things
1. 73: Parting

Author Note: Hello everybody this is flipomatic speaking. I have decided to take on the 100 themes Royai challenge. They will be a mixture of drabbles and one-shots varying in length. They are in random order and all except for this first one will be drawn out of a hat. My friend Baxter54132 selected this one at random. First up is theme 73: Parting R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Every day at the office ended in a very similar way.

On this particular day, Havoc left first, having to find a date before he could actually go on one. Then Breda, claiming it was time for dinner, left second. The electronics store was closing early, so Fuery was out third. Falman actually finished all of his work and was the fourth to go home. This left Colonel Roy Mustang and 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye as the only two left. It was always like this.

Usually, the two managed to finish everything by seven p.m. or so. But this time things ran late.

It was about one in the morning when Hawkeye put on her jacket to leave. All that was left to do was turn off the lights and lock the doors. She trusted Roy to do that.

"Goodbye sir." She saluted and started to walk out the door.

"Wait Lieutenant," Roy stopped her, "I'll walk you home."

She shook her head, "No thanks sir, I can manage. Anyway, you need to go straight home and get some sleep. See you tomorrow." She continued on her path out the door and was gone, fifth, within a few seconds.

Roy sighed as he turned off the lights; he wished she had taken him up on his offer. He was just hoping for some peace of mind. Roy locked the door behind him, becoming the sixth out. He decided not to dwell on it because their parting couldn't change; it was a constant.

No matter how many times he asked, she never let him walk her home.

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End Note: I think that went pretty well for the first one. Baxter54132 is also writing a variation of the Royai 100 themes so check his stuff out too.

Review Please

I mean it


	2. 53: Sigh

Author Note: MLICH, My Life Is Crazy Hectic, so updates may have sporadic time jumps between them anywhere from a day to a few weeks. Here is theme 53: Sigh. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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The odd trio walked down the hall in their usual formation. Roy in front, Havoc behind him on the right, and Riza a few steps left of Havoc.

"But I'll dutifully obey my orders," Roy said smugly, Havoc and Riza glancing at each other as he spoke, "at least until I become Fuhrer and every one of them is obeying me."

She nearly sighed, "Be more discreet about those declarations Sir, some would call them treason."

"She's right chief," Havoc grinned, "it's a presumptuous thing to say. You got a death wish or something?"

Roy stopped in his tracks and the two subordinates exchanged another glance. Their superior was acting particularly strange today.

Riza was just hoping Roy would answer no.

"That's a stupid question Havoc, I say it because its true, and when I'm Fuhrer there will be changes." Roy's gaze was serious as he turned to face his subordinates. "That day," he struck a pose, "all female officers will be required to wear… Tiny Miniskirts!"

Sigh

Havocs nose started to drip slowly, "You're a miracle Mustang I'll follow you for the rest of my life." He clamped onto Roy's leg in a slightly creepy way.

"Yes." Roy grinned in his superman pose.

Riza started to walk away from her crazy comrades.

"Hawkeye," Roy's voice stopped her, "I heard that sigh. Will you wear a miniskirt and still follow me when that day comes?"

Riza paused, trying to think of a good response. Another sigh might work, but she wasn't sure. Havoc released Roy and straitened up. He cleared his throat to try and disperse the semi awkward moment.

Riza turned around to face Roy, "Do you even have to ask? And do you know what the best part is?"

Roy's face lit up like a kid in a candy shop, "What?"

Riza took one step closer to Roy with every few words, "Since I will be watching your back I will be behind you all of the time. So even if I stick around and wear a miniskirt, Sir, you will never see it." Her dark brown eyes told him the rest of the sentence, _'but everybody else will'_.

Havoc laughed, "She got you there chief."

Maybe, just maybe, Roy thought to himself, this miniskirt law was not such a good idea after all.

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End note: Please please please please review. I live on reviews and right now I only have one. I really want to know what you think.

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	3. 97: If I Die

Author Note: The hat I have been drawing these out of is so cool. It is a pirate had made of felt and has a cool skull and crossbones on the front. I got it at senior day at band camp; we dressed up as pirates and attacked the rest of the band with foam swords. It was fun. Thank you Fluffy Pinkness, IvyShort, Ziryx, and Baxter54132 for reviewing the last chapter. Here is theme 97: If I Die. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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Riza, Roy, Havoc, Ed, and Fuery were the only ones in the office. The men and teen were eating lunch and enjoying a game of 'What would you do if…' Riza was filling out paperwork at her desk.

"What would you do if," It was Ed's turn, "I was suddenly taller than you?" Fuery shrugged and Havoc laughed, "I doubt that would ever happen."

"Hey! I will hit my growth spurt eventually!" Ed stood up and twitched with anger.

"I," Roy said dramatically, "would get a platform to stand on. That way I would still be taller than you."

Havoc stood up as Ed shook his fist at Roy and sat down. "My turn, what would you do if Black Hayate did his business in your shoes?"

Ed and Fuerys' faces both morphed, one into evil glee and the other into horror. "Teach the little punk whose boss" and "He would never do that!" echoed out at the same time.

Roy's answer was actually the most logical of the group, "Clean my shoes and give the dog to Hawkeye for punishing."

They all looked over at Riza, who was silently eavesdropping on them. She ignored their stares and kept filling out paperwork.

Everybody else shrugged and it was Roy's turn.

"What would you do," He paused and Riza looked up. His eyes met hers, "if I died?"

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. Havoc and Fuery exchanged a glance while Ed just laughed.

"I would teabag on your grave, colonel bastard." Ed shuddered as he felt everybody else in the room glare at him. According to Riza's dark brown eyes, she would kill him before he had the chance to.

Nobody else said anything, so Roy asked again. "Nothing to say Havoc, Fuery? Hawkeye?"

She softened her glare and redirected it at Roy, "I thought you already knew that answer."

"Well yeah," Roy shrugged, "but I was hoping you would have changed it." He grinned hopefully.

"Nope" She was blunt.

Roy frowned slightly, "Well damn. I am changing it for you, ok?"

"Pst," Ed poked Havoc, "What is he talking about?" Havoc just shrugged; he had no idea. His two superiors always seemed to speak their own language.

"No sir, it's not ok. There actually is no need to change my mind."

"Why?"

"You won't die."

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End Note: If anybody doesn't know, if Roy died Riza would kill herself. She told him so during one of the manga chapters. I can't remember which one off the top of my head.

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	4. 38: Mischief

Author Note: Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep will be available tomorrow. I am so excited. I prepaid for it and everything. This is Theme 38: Mischief. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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I was having a wonderful day.

My master took me to work with her for the first time in a while. On the way there, I saw five different squirrels.

When we got to the office, my master sat at her desk and let me off my leash in the room. The first thing I did was walk over to the guy who was scared of me. He was writing on a piece of paper when I barked. I laughed in my own doggy way and wagged my tail as he squealed and fell off his chair.

"Leave Breda alone Hayate." My master told me sternly. She was like my mom, taking care of me and making sure I behaved.

I was begging for treats from the nice man with glasses when my master's mate came in. He greeted everybody, patted my head, and went into the other room where he always stayed during the day. He always smells like smoke.

After that I decided to take a nap. I curled up by my master's feet and quickly dozed off.

When I woke up, she was gone. I looked inquisitively over at the man who smells like smoke and he pointed at the other room. That man smelled like a different smoke than my masters' mate. It smelled like bad smoke.

I walked over to the door and could hear my master talking with her mate about something.

Then I noticed that the door had a lock on it. I knew how to lock and unlock doors because my master trusted me to do it when her hands were full. If I stood up on my hind paws I could reach it. I turned the little piece that stuck out of the middle with my nose and the door was locked. Luckily this one was the same as the one at home.

_Click_

I locked it shut.

Everybody else in the office stared as I went back to my previous position by my masters' desk. I would let them out in a half hour or so, but I just couldn't stay awake. I dozed off to the sound of fists pounding on the door, dreaming of some day having siblings.

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End Note: I just love Black Hayate.

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	5. 35: Letter

Author Note: Sorry this took so long; I have been excruciatingly busy lately. I wrote this at school during AP stats because we were just taking notes and it was boring. I also worked on it in Spanish class. My teacher is utterly insane… Here is theme 35: Letter. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing! It makes me angry

Spoilers for Ishval stuff

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Isval was a terrible place to be. High command, including Fuhrer Bradley, knew this and did everything they could to increase camaraderie among the soldiers. The soldiers were less likely to desert the unfair war if they had friends.

One of the methods was to bunk men from a few different units together in barracks like tents. Roy was with some foot soldiers and another state alchemist. He got along well with everybody except Kimbley, that man was just creepy.

Another thing high command did was set up a postal service for the men. Every Saturday they were allowed to send and receive letters. Roy sent a few to his foster mother and Riza, simply telling them that he was stationed in Ishval and was still alive.

He got a letter back from Madame Christmas, stating that he better be alive and if he wasn't she would flay him within an inch of his life, but none from Riza. So he kept sending Riza letters with the hope that she just did not have anything to say. One day, the men were all in their tent when the mail was delivered.

"Eric"

"George"

"Mustang" Roy looked over from his conversation as the mail soldier called his name. He walked over and received a stack of about ten envelopes all rubber banded together. The rest of the men stared as Roy went back to his seat; he had only received mail once, and it had been his mother. They were unsure as to who would send the major so many letters at once.

They watched in silence as Roy examined the letters. All of them except for one were labeled 'Ms. Riza Hawkeye' on the outside with a stamp that said 'return to sender'. The last one was addressed to Roy. He opened it with a slight glint of trepidation in his eyes. Why were all of the letters he sent Riza sent back to him?

The letter read:

Dear Mr. Mustang,

Thank you for sending Riza letters. Unfortunately, she left town about three years ago. She didn't tell anybody where she was going. I have been collecting her mail for a while now and decided to send these back to you. If you find her, could you please tell her that Mrs. Evans says hello? I'm sorry for the trouble,

-Mrs. Evaline Evans

Roy stared at the piece of paper in shock. He remembered Mrs. Evans, she always made the best cookies.

Thoughts swirled around in Roy's mind as he put the letter away. He glared at the still staring soldiers, a frown etched into place. They all jumped up and suddenly had somewhere else to be.

From that day on, Roy worried. Three years, anything could happen in three years. He worried that Riza might not have a safe place to stay. She might not have a good job. She could have died. He tried to forget that last one as he walked out of his tent.

It turned out, he mused to himself, that King Bradleys' plan to increase morale epically failed. Then he heard a familiar voice,  
"Roy, Roy Mustang…"

Roy met up with Maes and they went for a walk. They talked, were nearly killed, and went back to camp for dinner. His worries about Riza were still running around in his head, only getting worse with each passing second.

Then he saw her, and his heart stopped.

_Even this girl had the eyes of a killer_

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End note: I have noticed that these are less like drabbles and more like one-shots. Oh well, it doesn't really matter that much.

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	6. 89: Ultimate Weapon

Author Note: I have discovered the joys of writing during class. AP stats has fallen victim to my boredom and is where these one-shots are born. I felt kind of bad for ignoring the teacher, but it didn't stop me from writing. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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State alchemists were given a few more privileges than other soldiers of the same rank. They were allowed to go on 'solo' missions and were permitted to take up to twenty soldiers with them. The state alchemists handpicked these men.

They usually took anywhere between fifteen and twenty.

The brave ones took ten and the stupid ones, besides Kimbley, went alone. Never before had an alchemist only requested one.

Major Roy Mustang only wanted one soldier on his mission with him. Albeit, she was one of the best snipers on the front lines, but it was still odd. There was no evident reason for Roy to request Riza as his only backup.

The generals allowed it, but only because King Bradley ordered it. He wanted to see what would happen; Roy Mustang piqued his curiosity.

The foot soldiers saw the pair off. The men couldn't help but feel like they would never see the sniper and alchemist again.

A week later, the two came back.

The generals were astonished to see them. They were even more surprised when Riza delivered a report. She wrote the report for the mission and delivered it right when she arrived back at camp. Her clothes were still covered in dry blood.

Riza only stayed long enough to debrief. She went beck to where Roy was being pestered by some soldiers. Maes was watching from the side, worried by his friends clouded gaze. Like Riza, Roy was covered in the blood of those he had killed.

While Maes distracted the men, Riza managed to drag the preoccupied man to the shower tent. Maes kept watch as Riza nudged Roy under the water. She joined the alchemist, both of them still fully clothed.

The water would help with the physical evidence and it would hide their tears, but the blood would never wash off their skin.

The two of them had killed nearly two thousand Ishvalans over the course of seven days without sustaining any injuries.

They were the ultimate weapon.

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End Note: I officially have no life. I spend all of my time just running around like a chicken with my head cut off. It gets a little confusing at times.

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	7. 67: Quirks

Author Note: I am on a roll; this is the third chapter in a rather short amount of time. This one was fun to write. Havoc just has to be my favorite side character ever. He is only second to Black Hayate, who is my homeboy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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He blinked. _Lieutenant_

Her gaze shifted almost imperceptibly. **What is it Colonel?**

He glanced at the door. _Are we expecting anyone?_

She shook her head slightly and went back to filling out paperwork. **No, keep working Sir.**

His right hand twitched as he leaned back in his chair. _Can't you call me Roy when we are talking like this?_

Her eyes narrowed. **What are you suggesting Colonel?**

He smirked. _You know very well what I am suggesting._

Riza sighed. **Not at the office Sir.**

Roy's eyes widened ever so slightly. _But you still call me 'Sir' and 'Colonel' outside of the office too._

Her gaze shifted to the left, then back to Roy. **Havoc is staring**

Roy grinned. _Who cares?_

The corner of her lips curved into a smile. **I care. Now please get back to work.**

He huffed and set his pen to the paper. _Alright_

Havoc watched them in confusion. He had followed the conversation up until 'what is it Colonel?'. One of his superior officers odd quirks was the inherent ability to have silent conversations. Every day, Havoc watched them. He wanted to learn a little bit of their nonverbal language so that one-day, he could join the conversation.

'Sup

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End note: A little short, I know. But it was fun.

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	8. 93: Shackles

Author Note: Sorry it has been so long, but I have been busy. The football team at my school lost 7 to 35 tonight, and I am in the marching band. We did much better than the football team. This is theme 93: Shackles

Disclaimer: nothing has changed; I still own don't own anything.

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She was shackled to him.

As small children they were first cuffed together. He went to learn alchemy from her father and she was polite to him. Roy would walk Riza to school and she would keep him keep him company whenever he had free time. She was part of the reason Roy joined the army. He wanted to protect common people, like her.

Flame alchemy drew them closer together. After her father died, the shackles should have vanished, but they did not. Roy felt like he dragged her to Ishval. All he wanted was for Riza to be free from him. He wanted her to be safe.

But she was not safe. She fought in countless battles; all for Roy. He thought she felt like she had to. That, for some odd reason, Riza Hawkeye felt obligated to follow him to hell. Or she was cuffed to him. Yeah, that must be it.

There was another reason that the shackles had to go. Roy refused to drag her to hell with him. The thought was intolerable.

After the war, he burned her back. Roy expected Riza to vanish after that, but the shackles were still there. He was astonished when she showed up in his office.

They stayed together for numerous years after that. Their peace lasted until King Bradley sliced the cuffs in half.

Roy prayed, to a god he didn't believe in, that Riza would take the opportunity to escape. Not that she was free she could run away from the Homunclus. She did not run, she stayed and faced her problems head on. Riza went to work for King Bradley knowing that she was a hostage. Roy tried desperately to get her to leave, but she refused.

Even with her shackles destroyed, she still followed him.

Or maybe, there were no shackles to begin with.

It was all in his head.

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End Note: Roy is guilt tripping. He does a lot of that. One of my friends, Baxter54132, is also doing the Royai 100 themes challenge. You should check his stuff out.

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	9. 48: Side of Face

Author Note: I just wrote a three-page essay about why Light Yagami and Lelouch Lamperouge are different. I am turning it in tomorrow for a grade in essay writing. I really hope that the teacher doesn't laugh in my face, but there are no grantees. Here is 48: Side of face

Disclaimer: I own nothing. How many times do I have to say it?

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There were many faces of Roy Mustang. Everyone he interacted with saw a different one.

Ed saw the calculating, shrewd, and ambitious Roy. He saw an antagonistic man who only wanted to climb to the top. After Ed got over the fact that Roy always called him short, he changed his opinion. The young man noticed that Roy really did care about his subordinates. Even though they bickered and fought all of the time, Roy cared about Ed as well. The teen did not know what to make of the two faces clashing. The most prominent thing Ed noticed was that Roy seemed to have a crush on Lt. Hawkeye. But then again, so did Al for a while, so he shrugged it off.

All of Roys dates observed a flirty and suave man. They loved it when he showered them in gifts and love. He would be perfect if he ever stopped talking about Elizabeth. All he ever said was 'Elizabeth this' and 'Elizabeth that'; it was seriously annoying. Anyone Roy ever dated knew a few bits of useless information about Elizabeth.

Havoc watched his superior officer ever day. He saw the face of a kind, if slightly goofy, leader. He knew that the man still grappled with his ghosts but handled well. He knew that Roy was always concerned when someone in the office showed up late for work, or was put out in a dangerous situation. Havoc also noticed that Roy would cause trouble in the office just to see Riza get angry.

Maes saw quite a few facades. He was a friend, a tortured soul, and an ambitious soldier. He preferred the friend who could just kick back and relax. Whenever Roy got depressed, Maes was one of the only people he would see. One time, in that situation, Roy had mumbled something about a scar and apologizing to somebody. The name he muttered sounded a lot like Riza, but Maes played off as a trick of the mind.

Riza saw all of Roy. She saw him as he really was, without the masks. She saw him as he was not, but at the same time was. Riza watched him tease Ed about the teens height. She listened as he talked with Maes on the phone. She noticed him out in the rain and had an umbrella ready. Whenever one of his girlfriends broke up with him for a change, they were always muttering about some Elizabeth. He appeared on her door one day, nearly sobbing, trying to apologize about the scar on her back. She just held him while he cried. Sometimes, in the office, she would just let him sleep. He was peaceful when he was sleeping. That only lasted until he peeked an eye open to see why she wasn't getting mad. Then she would glare and he would smirk smugly. Every once in a while, when Roy and Riza were alone, all of the personas would vanish. Roy would have a real smile on his face, all of the masks tucked away until someone walked in the door.

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End Note: This one was more drabble-ish. Starting next week, my free time is increasing exponentially. I am looking forward to it because then I will be able to spend more time writing and sleeping. Mostly sleeping.

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	10. 13: Betrayal

Author Note: 10% of the way there. This might be the only long-term story I ever complete… On a happier note, I managed to do this theme without angst and without anybody actually betraying each other. Olivier might be a tad bit Ooc. Just warning you. Theme 13: Betrayal

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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"I am transferring you to work under me."

The two women stared each other down, both with different thoughts racing though their minds. Olivier was wondering why her comrade didn't even react; most people usually made some kind of facial expression. Riza was trying to think of a way out of the situation without offending her superior officer.

"I respectfully decline."

The words echoed into silence. They were at the bottom of the list of typical responses, followed closely by 'No speeky englesh'. Olivier narrowed her eyes at the younger blond.

"Why?" She questioned.

"Personal Reasons." Riza said with a straight face.

Olivier scoffed, "Give me a straight answer."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"Briggs is far too cold for me."

Olivier blinked for a second, trying to process the information and figure out if her old friend was joking or not. Then she burst out with a short laugh.

"Yeah right," Her face grew serious, "Tell the truth."

Riza cursed inwardly, if only this was anybody but Olivier. The two had been rivals at the academy and eventually became friends. They hadn't seen each other since Riza went to Ishval and Olivier went to Briggs.

"Well," Riza paused to think for a moment, "Permission to speak freely."

Olivier nodded, "Granted for the rest of the conversation."

When Riza spoke, her face was still expressionless, "I have to stay under Colonel Mustang. I made a promise.

"A promise?" Olivier looked as if she swallowed a sour lemon, "You will never rise up in the ranks if you continue to work for that dolt. You are too good a soldier to be wasted like that." Olivier was livid; she couldn't understand why her friend was so adamant not to be transferred.

"I will not betray him. I am sorry."

It occurred to Olivier, as the sniper saluted and walked away, that her friend was in love. No boost in rank could ever be enough to sacrifice that.

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End Note: Do any of you watch Glee? I like Glee. It's going to be on in twenty minutes and I am exited.

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	11. 43: Wind

Author Note: I think I am getting better at this. All of the one-shots except for this one have been coming easier. This theme was really hard to work with. I sat for about twenty minutes and just stared at a piece of paper with the title on top. Here is 43: Wind.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing

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The weather in Ishval never changed; during the day it was hot and at night it was freezing. There never was a single drop of rain. The wind blew every hour of the day.

It would throw sand in soldiers' faces as if it was fighting on the side of the Ishvalans. Roy hated the wind and it seemed to share the sentiment.

Every day when Roy woke up, his shoes were always full of sand. The wind mocked him in his sleep with this simple act. So every morning Roy would have to empty his shoes of the sand and silently curse the wind.

What bothered him more was the effect it had on his alchemy. Flame alchemy is entirely based on manipulating the molecules in the air to make them extremely flammable, and lighting a spark near them. He would create a path for his spark to travel down, and that is what the wind affected most. It would move the overall explosion point, but it didn't really matter because the spark never reached there anyways.

The whole reason that Roy was involved in the war was to protect the people. How could he do that if he kept setting them on fire? How could he protect his men when his own alchemy was doing them harm? It seemed that Mother Nature truly despised him.

Especially when the wind purposely aimed at that one female sniper. The only one he would ever be willing to give his life for.

Cadet Riza Hawkeye survived her clothes setting on fire with minor first-degree burns.

Even though she told Roy that it was all right and that the incident was not his fault, he did not believe her.

It was not just the winds fault. If he had checked first then he never would have snapped into the wind. He would have waited or not have snapped at all. She didn't have to get hurt. It was all his fault.

As much as Roy hated the wind, he hated himself more.

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End Note: Like I said, this one was difficult. I started with sand in shoes and moved to angst, all in a little over two hundred words!

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	12. 65: The You Reflected In The Glass

Author Note: I am tired of drawing depressing themes. The angst is starting to really get to me. Theme 65: The You Reflected In the Glass.

Companion to Side of Face

Disclaimer: I still own nothing

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When Roy looked in the mirror, he saw a murderer. In his mind, all mirrors shattered when he passed them; unable to hold his image.

_Murderer_

The people loved him as a hero, but he knew better. Roy knew that he was no hero, and watched as the mask fell away, abandoning the murderer he was. After each façade vanished, only the killer was left.

It glared smugly at Roy, silently taunting him. 'You are a murderer', its eyes seemed to say, 'just like me'. Then it would fall, like the others before it, and the mirror would shatter, shards flying everywhere.

Roy would blink, and everything would be as it was. All of the mirrors would be intact and the face of a pale man would stare back at him.

Once, he caught his reflection in a pair of mirrored sunglasses that just happened to be on the face of one Riza Hawkeye. He had a brief moment of terror that the glasses might break and get shards in her eyes, but nothing happened.

Even as he saw himself as he truly was, the mirror stayed intact.

He was no longer the sum of his masks; Riza was there, and she completed him.

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End Note: Sorry this one came so late. I know it is kind of weird, but I think it fits the theme ok.

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	13. 62: A Reason To Quarrel

Authors Note: This one kind of exploded on me. It is about three times longer than any of the other chapters and hit me just like BAM! Brainwave. Here is Theme 62: A Reason To Quarrel.

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed as I still own nothing.

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All of Mustangs men were huddled around a newspaper, reading the most recent article about the East's most notorious serial killer. He only attacked women and killed any companions they may have had with them at the time. They were all found butchered in their own homes.

The men heard the creak of an opening door and bolted back to their seats. When Roy entered the room, they were all whistling innocently and filling out paperwork. Riza entered after the colonel, giving all the others a suspicious glare.

"Men," Roy addressed the group, "We have a case. I am sure that you all know of the recent murders in the area. The case has been put under our jurisdiction and we will put a stop to them. Havoc and Breda, go visit the scenes of the past crimes. Falman, we need the file for every victim. Fuery, see if you can dig up anything on our serial killer from when he was killing in central.

"Hai." All of the men nodded ad set about their tasks. They all left except for Havoc, who was looking up the locations of the murders, Roy, and Riza.

"Hawkeye." Roy got her attention.

"Yes?"

"I want you to stay out of this investigation."

Riza's eyes widened and Havoc turned from his file flipping to watch his superior officers.

'What?" Riza asked, confusion written all over her face.

"I mean it," Roy responded, "I don't like this situation. It would be to easy for you to end up a target if you get involved."

"But sir," Riza protested, "That could only help us catch this killer. I can take care of myself."

"Ahem," Havoc had to put his two cents in, "I agree with the chief. Some of the people this guy has killed have been in the military."

Roy nodded, "Thank you Havoc. It is final. Hawkeye, for this investigation you will run things from the office. You will manage the paperwork and inform General Grumman that I will not be able to meet with him until the case is closed. Don't make me pull rank on you about this."

Riza's glare suddenly faded into an icy emotionless state. "Yes sir."

Riza saluted and went to sit down at her desk. She sifted through a few papers before picking up a stack and storming out of the office. Roy watched her go with a slight frown on his face.

He sighed, "Am I doing the right thing Havoc?"

"Yeah."

Roy continued to talk, as if to convince himself, "After all, she is better off angry than dead."

Havoc finished gathering addresses and went to meet Breda at the car.

The investigation went nowhere for the day. Nothing new was found out and there were no substantial incidents. That night, Roy was asleep when his phone rang.

"Hello?" He said groggily.

"Hey there Roy," the voice was a lot more awake than he was, "this is Elizabeth, sorry to call so late but I just wanted to hear your voice!"

"That's all right. How are you?"

"Pretty good. I was trying to sleep but I heard some raccoons in the yard. They scared me so I couldn't go back to sleep."

"Oh really? Are the raccoons gone now?" Roy's voice sounded as if he was smirking, but his eyes were full of worry.

"I don't think so, but they stopped making noise so its ok." _**BANG!**_ "I'm tired of this. I am going to go get a broom and teach those raccoons a lesson!"

"Wait, Elizabeth." There was silence, "Elizabeth! Damn it, she hung up."

Roy quickly dialed another number, "Havoc! Get up!"

"Wha…"

"Get together the troops and go to Hawkeye's place. She has an intruder."

"Ok. I'm going…"

"Good." Roy hung up the phone and slid on his white alchemy gloves before jumping into his car.

All the way on the drive to Riza's apartment he prayed that he would not be too late. When he arrived, the door to her apartment was ajar and a few of the neighbors were milling around it. Roy shoved past them and walked slowly into the apartment with his right hand ready to snap. He ended up hand to pistol that was held in a shaking hand.

Roy was relieved as Riza immediately pulled her gun back and reset the safety. There may have been blood dripping steadily from her left arm and a large bruise on her face, but she was alive.

"Are you hurt?" Roy asked.

"Just my pride." She chuckled weakly before coughing roughly. When she pulled her hand away from her lips there was blood on it.

"Even so," Roy said, "I am going to call and ambulance. Where is your phone?"

Riza pointed, and Roy quickly called an ambulance to come to their location. The two of them settled on the couch to wait for it.

It suddenly occurred to Roy that he was missing something here. "What happened to the intruder?"

"Dead," Riza responded, "It was that serial killer you were looking for."

"You were right," Roy looked at his hands, "You are strong enough to take care of yourself. I guess I am just paranoid."

"Its all right," Riza grinned weakly and winced slightly, "He mentioned me being connected to you being the reason for attacking me."

"So I suppose we didn't really have a reason to quarrel, did we?"

"No, I guess not."

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End note: I know there isn't really a conclusion, but it fits the theme. And its so much longer than it should have been.


	14. 77: Implicit Rules

Author Note: Messing with Havoc is so much fun. It is almost too easy. He, along with Ed, makes a good character to put with Roy and Riza in a story. This is Theme 77: Implicit Rules

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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Havoc purchased his lunch at the mess hall and was on his way back to the office to eat it there. He was about to put his hand on the doorknob to go inside when he heard the hushed voices of his superior officers. They seemed to be bickering about something.

Being the slightly curious and gossipy man he was, Havoc decided to listen in on their conversation.

"Sir, this is a bad idea."

"C'mon Riza, loosen up a bit. You can call me Roy when it's just the two of us."

"Sir, you will address me as 'Hawkeye' or 'Lieutenant' at the office, no matter how many people are in the room."

"Let's just do it," there was the sound of footsteps, "You know you want to" Roy's voice growled seductively; or at least, that's how it sounded to Havoc.

"But…" The Lieutenants voice faded for a moment before coming back strongly, "I am sure there are rules against this kind of thing."

"Only implicit ones. Please, who would ever know?"

Havoc stumbled back from the door, covering his bleeding ears. He just missed Riza saying, "Well Sir, Havoc would."

Havoc spent the rest of his lunch break in a corner trying to get the mental images out of his head. Eventually, he had to go back to the office.

He came in with his head down, unable to meet anyone's gaze. When he sat down at his desk, he noticed a box of cigarettes sitting on top of his paperwork. It looked an awful lot like a box he had lost a few days before.

Shrugging, he pulled one out of the recently found box and stuck it into his mouth before immediately spitting it out with disgust. It tasted like it had been soaked in pickle brine. It occurred to Havoc, as he glanced at the smirking Colonel, that perhaps it had. He also noticed that Riza was watching him out of the corner of her eye, gauging his reaction.

Havoc turned his attention back to the cigarette box and looked it over. He noticed that someone wrote a message on the inside of the lid in what looked suspiciously like Hawkeye's handwriting. It read-

_Smoking is bad for you. This is from people who care and want to see you healthy. BTW, Colonel Mustang left a frog in your desk, just thought you would want to know._

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End note: Havoc totally thought they were doing something else lol. Thank you Baxter54132 for reviewing every chapter so consistently.

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	15. 26: Cureless

Author Note: This makes me sad. I was writing it after I finished my stats test yesterday and I guess I must have been in an angsty mood. Sorry it has been so long since I posted, but I started working on another story in my Spanish journal. All I can tell you is that it is Royai, and it is already 13 pages long. Here is theme 26: Cureless

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. Do not ask again!

Warning: Character death and suicide. Don't get mad, I warned you.

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Death is cureless. Death is permanent. Yet as Roy stared at the gravestone, he could not help but think of tentative cures for death such as human transmutation. He shook his head, this would only end up with more heartbreak, and a single tear rolled down his grim face.

The grave in front of him read,

_Riza Hawkeye_

_Friend, Soldier, Protector_

She didn't have to die. If only he had been more aware or a little bit smarter. Riza was supposed to go to the top with him, not die half way there. It was his entire fault anyway.

They had been out at dinner, on their first date, when an assassin shot at them. She noticed before he did and jumped in the bullets path. With one snap of the fingers the attacker was dead, but so was she.

As he cried that evening, he fought the urge to attempt human transmutation.

It had been a month since then, and Roy stood at her gravestone, a gun in hand. After all, if he could not bring her back then he would have to join her.

"Riza," he said out loud, "It's ironic isn't it, that I'm following you instead of the other way around?"

He practically could hear her response that no, it was not ironic and that he should put that gun down because guns were dangerous. Roy laughed a humorless laugh.

A single shot rang out.

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End note: sniff sniff…

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	16. 36: Dog

Author Note: This the first theme I have drawn that is right next to one I have already done. It makes me happy to know that I have been making progress. Here is theme 36: Dog

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Roy was thoroughly enjoying his day. The men were out of the office, his pen was out of ink, and Rizas' hair was down.

The hated (by Roy) hair clip had broken a few hours into the day, forcing to leave her luscious golden locks untied. Roy tried not to stare, he really did, but he couldn't help himself.

So he stared

and stared

and stared

and stared

until he felt the grip of needlelike teeth on his leg. The third occupant of the room had gotten tired of the flame man staring at his master; even if they were mates, it still unnerved him. All he did was give the human a warning chomp.

Roy did not interpret it that way as he glared at the shiba inu chewing on his leg. It didn't hurt, but it was rather annoying.

"Hawkeye," Roy said calmly, "Your dog is attacking me."

Riza looked up from her paperwork. "Hayate, leave it."

The dog released Roy's pants and flashed Roy a doggy grin before trotting to his master. Said master patted the dog on the head and told Roy to go back to work. She gave Black Hayate a bone to chew on before resuming work herself.

The dog still looked smug as Roy stewed in his seat.

Black Hayate: 16, Roy Mustang: 0

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End Note: I know its short, but I like it anyway.

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	17. 29: Existence

Author Note: You guys know Baxter54132 right? He makes me feel slow because he posts two times faster than I do. But I do write longer chapters, so I guess its ok… Here is theme 29: Existence R&R

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything, leave me alone!

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"Will you follow me?"

"Yes Sir, even to hell."

* * *

He was her entire existence. Riza dedicated her life to making Roy the Fuhrer. Even when the times were tough in Ishval and with the Homunculus, she would continue to protect him.

Once, she took a bullet for him, and he freaked out. Roy spouted a long-winded speech about how she should keep herself safe before protecting him, which she listened to and decided to disregard; his safety would always come first.

When Lust told her that Roy was dead, her heart skipped a beat. She no longer had a reason to live and if it were no for Al, she would have died not knowing Roy was alive. Later, when Roy scolded her about it, she couldn't tell him anything, mostly due to the presence of Havoc. But she wanted to say that he was her existence and she couldn't go on if he died.

She was nearly forced to kill him when he lost to his rage. The fact that she would be ending her own life as well seemed to be the biggest thing stopping him from carrying out his revenge.

When her throat was slit and she was dieing, she was glad that at least Roy was safe. She just had to tell him not to use human transmutation and that there was an ambush set up right above them. Riza watched the eyes filled with utter despair flicker with recognition at the eye signals and his face set in a smug, yet shaky, grin. Riza signaled one more time, the signal for love, before fainting into unconsciousness.

She woke in the comfort of his arms, still weak from blood loss. After a quick conversation, Riza struggled to her feet. She was forced to watch as Roy did human transmutation and waited for him to come back. She didn't know what she would do if he died, probably die too. He came back blind, and she followed him to battle yet again. Together, as equals, because she was his existence too.

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End note: I don't like school. Yet I have to go every day. Makes me sad. So I just figured out how to put a line in a story without writing line line line over and over again. I am only going to use it if I need a line in the middle of the story, I still like my other lines at the beginning and the end.

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	18. 99: Welcome Home

Author note: So even though I do not like the first anime at all, I am stealing a Royai moment from the movie. I have modified it to suit my purposes, but still feel slightly guilty after spending the entirety of the time I have known of FMA slandering the first anime. Oh well… R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Riza crouched behind the barricade, shooting round after round into the odd metal creatures. But the bullets only slowed them down slightly, they were still making slow progress despite the rain of metal.

Riza was about ready to order her troops to fall back, but she noticed a familiar spark. Flames burst out, decimating the metal creatures. Riza immediately stood up, turned around, and saluted, indicating for her soldiers to do the same.

Roy Mustang stood there with his fingers outstretched in a snapping position and a grim look of determination on his face.

He moved among the soldiers quickly, assigning them a new place to be. After a few minutes, Riza was the only one left. Her eyes glistened with emotion as Roy approached her. His eyes scanned briefly over the rank on her shoulder and he grinned slightly.

"Colonel Hawkeye," he said, "You're with me."

"Yes sir." She picked up her rifle from the barricade and followed Roy, maintaining the proper distance of two paces. Once they were inside the building, away from prying eyes and ears, she said,

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"Welcome home."

He grinned as she sped up her pace slightly to walk side by side as equals.

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End note: So if you are reading this you also might notice that I wrote another Royai story recently and will be updating it on a regular basis along with this one, but I am sorry to say that the chapters for this story will slow down drastically until it is finished.

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	19. 91: Kiss

Author Note: So I have been efficiently procrastinating about this one because I don't want it to be the same stereotypical drabble that always accompanies this theme. Theme 91: Kiss

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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Roy and Riza had the bad habit of kissing in front of all their subordinates. Luckily, the men never seemed to notice.

It's not that they were oblivious; they simply couldn't see the signs.

Havoc noticed once, but passed it off as a trick of the eye. He didn't actually know what it meant.

Riza would be working at her desk, and need something signed by Roy, so she would go over to his desk to pester him to sign it. Upon arrival, she would salute. But it was not a normal salute; it was a signal as well.

The standard salute consisted of two fingers out with the thumb resting on the nails of the ring and pinky fingers. This salute had the thumb on the second joint of the ring finger and pinky. In simple codes, it was the equivalent of blowing someone a kiss.

Roy would give the same salute in return, grinning slightly, and blow a kiss back.

They were blatantly disregarding the fraternization laws, but kissing in the office was subtle enough that nobody noticed.

Only Maes Hughes even had a clue, but he had been telling his friend all along that he should get a wife.

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End Note: Kind of short, but I like it.

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	20. 96: Tomorrow, Too

Author Note: So it is finals week, and I really should be studying right now instead of typing fanfiction. Oh well. I bought a few Fullmetal Alchemist books recently and I just love them. I only picked out the ones with tons of Royai moments.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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_Tomorrow, Roy Mustang will arrive for alchemy training._

Riza was not exited, he was just one in a long line of potential students. She had to prepare his room and be presentable when he arrived. She would be polite, and possibly play a few pranks on him.

_Tomorrow, Riza Hawkeye will be sent to the front lines in Ishval._

She was nervous, nervous that he may already be dead. She just wanted to protect Roy until he accomplished his goals. If that meant fighting in a war, then so be it.

_Tomorrow, Roy Mustang will choose his new group of subordinates._

Roy shifted through the files of his chosen men, pausing at the familiar face. Why was she still following him? Why would she want to protect him of all people, an abominable murderer? The most pressing question, why did he allow her to risk her life when all he wanted to do was keep her safe.

_Tomorrow, Roy Mustang and his chain of command will be transferred to Central._

As Riza packed her boxes, she thought about how far they had come, and how far they still had to go. She was ready to move into the future.

_Tomorrow, the promised day will come._

Saluting Bradley as his train pulled away was Riza's last act as his personal aid. She went home to unlock her guns and start accumulating ammunition. She took of her military jacket for what she believed would be the last time.

_Tomorrow, Roy Mustang will become Fuhrer._

Roy shifted his collar nervously, trying to resist the urge to peek around the curtain. As the newly elected Fuhrer, he had to make a speech. He was glad to know that Riza would be the only security on stage, still watching his back to this day.

_Tomorrow, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye will get married._

Riza gazed at the sparkling ring on her finger. She had been waiting for years, she can tolerate waiting one day more.

_Tomorrow will come._

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End Note: So now I am 20% of the way there. It is really exiting.

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	21. 1: Military Personnel

Author Note: So when I drew this one I was like, please no more in the 90s, and it was just ironic that this one came out. Also, I am really sorry that it has been so long since I have posted anything. I just have been lazy. But today is a snow day, and I have plenty of time on my hands. R&R!

Dislcaimer: I own nothing

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Riza, Havoc, Fuery, Falman, and Breda were all sitting at their desks working quietly when a light bulb suddenly lit up over Havoc's head.

He was half way through signing his name when it hit him, and his pen stopped moving. Havoc restarted the motion and finished the last few letters of his signature before leaning back in his chair.

"You know guys," he said loftily, "I just had an idea."

"Oh really," Breda chuckled, "That's a new one."

Havoc glared lightly at his friend, "I'm serious. It just occurred to me that even though we were all assigned together by the military, we are like one big family, our office I mean."

Fuery looked up from where he was tinkering with a radio, "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah," Breda set down his pen; this was bound to be more interesting than paperwork, "Are you the black sheep?"

"No!" Havoc shook his head vehemently, "We don't have one. I am the eldest son." He looked proud of the fact, probably because it gave him power over the other guys.

"Breda and Fuery are my brothers with Fuery as the youngest, Falman is the grandpa, and Black Hayate is our pet dog."

"You know I never would have guessed that last one." Breda snickered.

Falman briefly paused in filling out paperwork to glare at Havoc for calling him old, and decided to ignore the rest of the conversation.

"What about the Lieutenant and the Colonel?" Fuery wanted to know.

"I'm getting there!" responded Havoc, "The Colonel is like the father of this dysfunctional family, he has his own office and everything." Havoc glanced over at Riza, who was listening with mild interest, and risked his life to say, "And Lieutenant Hawkeye is like our mother, because she always looks after us and spends most of her time with our father. Also, the two of them are…"

Havoc shuddered as his voice faded away, he had no idea how intense that glare could be. Riza had gone from mildly interested to incensed in the span of a second. If death glares could kill, then Havoc would already be six feet under. Fuery saved Havoc by breaking the awkward silence,

"I like our family. It's nice to belong somewhere."

Havoc stared in amazed shock as Riza's mood shifted again, now radiating calm joy as she smiled at Fuery.

Apparently, her youngest son was her favorite.

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End note: So yeah… I have no life. I started reading Ouran High School Host Club a few days ago and it is highly addicting. So I might be writing an OHSHC one-shot soon, maybe.

Review Please


	22. 81: Footsteps

Author Note: Back to the high numbers… Sorry this update took so long, I have been busy. I actually finished writing it a few days ago was being lazy and waited until now to type it up. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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As Roy strolled down the halls of Central Command, he listened to the echoing of his footsteps. He was all alone in the hallway and each step rang out like a gunshot. No longer would there be another set of footsteps watching his back, he had lost her.

The repetitive sound came to a stuttering halt as Roy ceased his movement. He could her two more sets of steps echoing down the corridor in front of him, one of them familiar.

Roy snapped into a salute as Fuhrer Bradley stepped around the corner with Riza following close behind. Bradley nodded at Roy and paid him no more attention he would pay any other soldier.

Roy's eyes met Riza's as she walked by, making note of the small horizontal scratch on her cheek. His heart filled with panic as he thought about the phone call they had shared the other night. She had sounded shaken and scared. Not much scared Riza Hawkeye, so if she was afraid then the rest of the world should be too.

Her footsteps carried on as Roy's mind raced, running through possible ways to gain a scratch of that nature. She might have just tripped, but that would not explain the phone call. Roy glanced back at her retreating form and inconspicuously checked for other injuries as the scenarios in his mind got increasingly worse.

By the time Roy took a deep breath to calm himself down, he wanted to strangle the Fuhrer. But he did not. Asking Riza what had actually happened would be more efficient. But Bradley was still with her and Roy resisted the urge to blurt out his many questions as she disappeared down the hall.

Roy held his tongue and listened as her footsteps faded away.

As Roy resumed walking, he made a silent vow to himself. He would find out what had hurt Riza, and kill it. Be it Bradley, a bookshelf, or another one of the Homunculus, he would do everything in his power to keep her from being hurt by it again.

Even though this was an unreasonable vow, Roy was determined to keep it. It would keep him sane in these dark times and make it slightly bearable to just hear his own tortured footsteps echoing through the halls.

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End note: Not much for three weeks, I know.

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	23. 56: Skillful and Clumsy

Author Note: I was sitting in my stats class, trying to think of what I could do for this one, and suddenly went Eureka! Not out loud, in my head. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Roy stood with his back against a solid brick wall, praying to a god he didn't believe in not to get caught.

He let out a sigh of relief as the person he was following didn't seem to notice the teenage boy a few feet behind her.

Roy did not usually worry about his master's daughter, but she usually did not go out shopping in the middle of the night either.

Roy was so busy sneaking from alleyway to alleyway that he did not take the time to make sure the alleys were empty. He was not paying any attention to the people around him. While Riza was in the store, Roy was peeking out of alley and felt someone ensnare his arms from behind.

"What the hell you doin' kid?" A gruff voice questioned, booming in the dim light, "you lookin' for trouble in our alley?"

A couple of other voices laughed in return as Roy squirmed in the grip of his captor.

"Let me go." He said as calmly as he could manage in the situation. If only he could get his arms free, he could easily beat these thugs.

They were not going to give him that chance, and the one that addressed him pulled out a pocket knife.

Roy's struggles grew more frantic as the sharp object came closer. He was totally going to die. Hopefully Riza wouldn't notice his rotting corpse in the alley on her way home and decide to investigate. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain. It never came.

Roy's eyes snapped open as a gunshot rang out. The thug with the knife stared at the hilt of his blade in confusion because that was all he had, a hilt. The blade itself had been shot off.

Everyone in the alley turned to the entrance and gaped at the figure standing there.

Riza Hawkeye, 12 years old, four and a half feet tall, with a bag of groceries and a smoking gun, was livid.

"Scram," she said in her boldest voice, "Or the next bullet will be between your eyes."

The thugs exchanged an uneasy glance, even though there were more of them, they didn't have a gun. Knifes were no match for guns and this teenager was not worth getting shot.

They dropped Roy in an undignified heap and left through the back entrance of the alleyway.

Riza ran over and helped him up as soon as they were gone. Roy thought he saw a hint of concern in her eyes, but it may have been a trick of the light.

20 years later, Roy felt a sense of déjà vu.

After following Riza to ensure she would not be attacked by Barry the Chopper, Roy found himself corned by none other than the criminal he was attemting to avoid. In the rain, without a gun.

Riza saved him yet again and they laughed about how things never change, she would always be skillful and he would always be clumsy.

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End note: So yeah… I finished writing the assassin story; it is 53 pages in all. I still have a whole lot to type though.

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	24. 58: Before Falling Asleep

Author Note: All I can do is apologize for taking so long to update. I actually wrote this chapter a month ago with the intent to type it up, but never actually got around to it. R&R please

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Roy sat in his tent, listening to the few sounds of the night. The Ishvalan deserts had an eerie stillness to them most of the day, but at night a few noises could be heard.

He could hear a wolf in the distance, howling with its pack, and the wind rustling the side of his tent. Below the sounds of the wind, Roy could barely make out a few crunching footsteps.

Those steps belonged to the soldier guarding his tent, and were the most important sound Roy would hear that evening. They meant that his guard was still patrolling, and was not bleeding out in the desolate desert.

His guard that night was Private Riza Hawkeye.

Each state alchemist had a squadron, which guarded them at night to prevent them from being assassinated. Roy's squad rotated so there were two each night, one in the first half of the evening and one in the second. So every Thursday night, from eight pm to one am, Riza stood outside Roy's tent.

Despite himself, Roy worried about her standing out there all by herself. The recent loss of one of her squad mates to an assassin trying to kill him only increased his fears.

He would stay up, listening to her footsteps, until his eyes closed from exhaustion. One night, after a particularly horrendous day, he sent a prayer to a god he didn't believe in to forsake him and save her. All Roy wanted was for Riza to be safe.

But in spite of these worries, the nights Riza stood guard at his tent were the only nights Roy suffered no nightmares.

Not until one am, when the guard switched.

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End Note: Before you tell me it is short, I KNOW! Teehee. I just didn't know what else to put in without messing up the balance of the story and the touch of angst near the end. Who knows when the next one will be written though...


	25. 64: Scenery From a Car Seat

Author Note: I am so sorry about the delay on this chapter, but I just have been feeling really lazy ever since the snow started melting not so long ago. But today I blew the dust off the rough draft of this chapter and will be typing it up for your viewing pleasure. R&R Please

Disclaimer: I own nothing, still

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"Are we there yet?"

"No"

A momentary pause

"Are we there yet?"

"No!"

Another pause

"Are we there yet?"

"NO! If you ask one more time Fullmetal, you will never get there! I will throw you out of the car!"

"I dare you to, you bastard Colonel!"

Riza sighed as Edward and Roy squabbled, wondering again how she got dragged into this mess.

Oh yeah, the Colonel and Edward had decided it would be a good idea to have a spar, and Edward's automail leg and arm had been burned to a crisp in the process.

Since the boy couldn't walk, the trains were not running that day, and he blamed Roy for the damage, he thought it would be fun to make his favorite superior officer drive him to Risembool.

Roy was planning to drive the boy all by himself, but as soon as Riza got wind of his plan she modified it immediately. Instead of driving to and from Risembool in one day, giving the Rockbells a nasty surprise along the way, Riza called ahead and arranged for the group to stay in the Rockbell home for a few days while they fixed the destroyed automail.

Also, she would be driving. No offense to the Colonels driving skills, but he couldn't find his way out of a barrel, let alone all the way to Risembool.

So Riza was driving, and Roy was attempting to strangle Ed from the front seat. Al was attempting to break it up, but with no success. After a few loud seconds of "WHO YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD FIT IN THE CRACK UNDER A DOOR!" and "You, of course," she pulled over to the side of the road with a screech.

Both man and teenager froze mid yell and stared at her nervously.

"Is everything all right Hawkeye?" Roy asked hesitantly, as if he was afraid of the answer.

She turned her gaze on him and he gulped audibly.

"Act your age," she said simply, before turning to Ed, "Both of you." Gently easing the car off the shoulder, she continued down the road.

Al was in shock, he had never seen anyone shut his brother up so quickly. Ed was in a similar state while Roy just grinned and nodded.

As the trees rolled by, it occurred to Al that only his mother had been able to calm Ed so easily. Also, the only person Ed fought so often with other than the Colonel was their father. So if Roy was his father, and Riza was his mother, they were like one happy family going on a car trip.

A hesitant car trip to repair one of the childrens limbs, but a car trip all the same.

"Colonel, Lieutenant," Al said warmly.

"Yes Al?" Roy replied

"You guys would make great parents."

Roy and Riza exchanged a surprised look while Ed receded back into his previous state of shock. He had never thought about it before, but they really did act like pseudo parents for him and Al.

Roy turned his head to the back seat and thanked Al quietly.

Little did the boys know, their two superior officers thought of them as a family as well.

If not a slightly dysfunctional one.

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End note: So I think this puts me over 100,000 words. YAY! At long last.

Review Please


	26. 27: Dependency

Author Note: As much as I like the summer, temperatures exceeding 95 degrees annoy me to no end. All I want to do is be able to go outside and enjoy myself without sweating through all of my clothes… now that I'm done ranting, R&R everybody!

Warning: One of the characters swears once. You are officially warned.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Roy couldn't believe the mess he was in.

Fuery was frantically radioing HQ.

Falman and Breda were off location because they had no field experience.

Havoc was pointing his gun.

Roy was standing, pale in disbelief.

Lastly, Riza had a gun pointed at her head and a bulky arm around her neck.

Not Havocs gun, but one of the men they were attempting to apprehend.

Riza had strayed too close to a hidden wall and was ambushed from behind, the enemy knocking the gun out of her hand, instantly becoming a hostage. Roy cursed his carelessness of not noticing the obviously alchemized wall.

The enemies were only a street gang that had been vandalizing military buildings for the past month; nobody expected them to actually put up a decent fight. So the group stood in a momentary stalemate as the thug put his pistol to Riza's head.

Quickly, Havoc aimed at the pair but didn't fire. He was a good shot, but he didn't know what the man would do if provoked and he didn't want to accidentally hit Riza.

"Surrender, or your pretty little bitch will have her head blown off," the thug growled, tightening one of his arms around Riza's neck so she couldn't escape.

The few thugs who had not been taken out yet easily cornered the two men who were afraid to fight in case their comrade might be killed.

Roy in particular was seeing red. He was pissed, mostly at himself. He should have protected her better. What would he do if she died? He didn't know. Curl up and die maybe. Shaking off the thought, he met Riza's gaze.

She, on the other hand, seemed perfectly calm. Luckily, the thug was stupid enough not to restrain her arms. She blinked once, then twice, at Roy and reached instantly for a knife she kept in her belt. Riza whacked the pistol up just in time for it to fire and graze the top of her head.

As Riza proceeded to stab the brute who had been keeping her captive, Roy jumped into action. He had grown tired of attempting to take these men alive and opted for burning them. Poor Havoc had to duck to avoid having his hair singed off.

After a minute or so the fire and the screams died down and Riza stumbled over to Roy and Havoc. Blood was dripping steadily down her face and hair from the bullet wound on her scalp, but she was ignoring it.

"Are you alright Sir?" she asked.

Roy nodded, "I'm fine, but what about you?"

"I'm fine Sir, let's go finish the mission." She turned to search the rest of the building for more thugs, but Havoc intervened, grabbing her wrist lightly.

"Wait a second there Lieutenant. Don't you think you should have that wound looked at first?"

"Yeah" Roy nodded his agreement.

"No," Riza shook off Havocs grip, "After." She started to walk away again, only to stumble slightly from blood loss.

Roy grasped her arm firmly, helping her stay upright. "Whoa there," he said, concerned, "Let's look at it right now."

Riza sighed, "Fine, but make it quick."

Roy helped her walk over to a conveniently placed bench while Havoc kept watch for any stray gang members. He quickly checked her head wound and found that Riza had been correct about it. It was rather shallow and was only bleeding a lot because all head wounds bleed a lot.

As Roy examined the wound, Riza said so quietly he nearly could not hear her speaking, "Sorry for being a burden."

Roy thought he might have heard wrong and didn't reply, but that really struck him. She thought she was a burden? How could she be, when he was the burden to her?

It occurred to him, as her life was in danger, that he had no idea what he would do without her. He needed her, was dependent on her, and she thought she was as burden.

Shaking his head slightly as he placed an adhesive bandage over the wound, Roy promised himself he would tell her all of that one day.

Once he was Fuhrer and the fraternization laws were abolished, Riza Hawkeye would finally know how much his existence depends on hers.

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End note: That's all folks. Not as good as the last one, I know, but that one was a gem. This one is just kind of meh. And yes, I know an adhesive bandage would stick to her hair, but what other kind of bandage would he use in the field? (I don't know that much about medical stuff)

Review Please!


	27. 57: Feigning Sleep

Author Note: I am sorry, but since I started college a month ago I have had difficulty finding time to write. So I am sorry, but my posting is going to be even less frequent than it has been. But, I will still do my best to post as often as I can. On a positive note, college is amazing! I love it. Here is theme 57: Feigning Sleep.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Warning: Ed thinks one (moderately) bad word. Just warning you.

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The back of the cave was dark, as only flickers of light from the bustling fire reached it. The sides of the damp crevice were about 15 feet apart and the top stood at about eight feet. It was barely high enough for Al to stand up straight. At approximately 30 feet deep, the cave made an ideal, if only opposed to hiding under a tree, shelter.

Its current occupants, Al, Ed, Riza, and Roy, were lucky to stumble upon it.

The group had been traveling to Central in a car when they were attacked by a rouge chimera. They defeated it easily, only suffering seemingly minor injuries. Unfortunately, the car was… blown up, in the process. The chimera put a hole in the gas tank, so when one of Roy's sparks got too close, BOOM!

After the fire stopped burning, leaving only a smoking crater where the car once was, they all sighed and started walking; hoping to find shelter before nightfall. Finding the cave was their first stroke of luck all day.

At the moment, Ed was curled up on the ground with his head on his balled up jacket near the back of the cave with his back to the fire. Al had left to collect firewood, and Roy and Riza were sitting by the fire waiting for his return.

Even though Ed was trying to sleep, he just felt restless. His eyes were about to drift shut when the colonels voice jolted him into awareness.

"Interesting day," he said lightly to his companion.

"I suppose so," Riza nodded as she spoke.

Ed, of course, did not see the motion. He figured the two were still sitting near the fire. There was silence for a moment, before a couple footsteps echoed through the cave and Roy said,

"Let's see that shoulder."

"Not right now Colonel," Riza stated resolutely.

"Why not?" Roy asked, "I know it has been bothering you and if we don't clean it then infection may set in."

"The boys," she replied simply.

"They're fine," Roy ran one hand through his hair, "Ed's sleeping and Al is out getting firewood."

Ed could almost hear the glint in her eyes as Riza said, "You might want to check that first one."

Crap, Ed thought as he screwed his eyes shut and attempted to level out his breathing. The colonel was approaching quickly.

Ed could hear the man hovering over him as he feigned sleep, hoping his pounding heart would not give him away.

Then he realized even if he wasn't asleep, the colonel was likely to say he was and treat Hawkeyes shoulder anyway. Ed still kept his eyes shut though, on the off chance she came over to check him too.

"If you move so much as an inch, you will be demoted to private faster than you can clap." Roy's voice hissed almost imperceptibly at the teen. The grown man then straightened his spine and proclaimed in a much louder voice,

"He's asleep."

Of course, Ed thought to himself, Hawkeye knew the colonel was lying. But it seemed she decided to humor him and not dispute his claim.

Or, Ed's brow furrowed slightly, they were speaking in code again. He had spent any minutes listening to the pair talk in this code, and several hours after trying to decipher it. Why should this conversation be any different.

Maybe it was a problem with where the injury was located. Simply saying 'shoulder' was rather vague, it could be in a really hard place to bandage without removing excess clothing. Then the issue would be privacy. But no, that was too obvious, too on the surface for their code.

Maybe they were talking about the weather…

Or the cloud formations…

Or the stars…

Or how long it was taking Al to get firewood…

Ed paused in his brainstorming for a moment to reorganize his thought process. He decided to think about one more idea then try to get some sleep..

What if it was about trust? They both might have known Ed was awake the whole time and were discussing whether or not they could trust him. If they had called him out on being awake, then they didn't trust him. But since they let him pretend to be asleep, then they did trust him.

Ed let out a drawn out yawn as he realized Hawkeye's shoulder had been wrapped while he was thinking. She and the colonel were sitting in comfortable silence by the fire.

Ed shifted positions on the cave floor, assuming it was ok to move, and continued his long battle against wakefulness.

As his tired brain slowed for sleep, it occurred to Ed that, in his act of code breaking, he finally understood his superior officers. It was ironic; the night they decided to trust him was the same evening he figured out what they were saying.

How did they do it? He wondered. It took more brain power to decode than most codes, but the colonel and Hawkeye used different variants every day.

They must be in love, Ed decided drowsily.

He was unable to give it any more rational thought because he slipped into blissful slumber.

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End Note: I find as I go on with this collection, I have been writing more and more about Ed and Al relating to Royai. Do you all like that? Or should I stop? Please tell me.

Review Please


	28. 71: Premonition

Author Note: Hello everybody! Sorry this one is so short, but it works at this length. Here is 71: Premonition. R&R Please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Roy jolted up in bed, panting as he recovered from his vivid nightmare. This nightmare was not the same type he was used to. They did not feature thousands of dead Ishvalans haunting and devouring his soul from beyond the grave. It was only a week before the promised day, and the current nightmares could almost be called premonitions.

The main characters in the premonition were himself, Riza, Scar, and countless faceless goons. The goons would restrain him, Riza, and Scar, before making some kind of demand, he never could remember exactly what it was, and threatening Riza to make him cooperate.

Then, when Roy did not cooperate, one of the goons would slit Riza's throat and there was nothing Roy could do about it. No matter how hard he struggled or how quickly he talked, he could not control the situation. He was forced to watch her bleed out, for some reason, in the middle of a transmutation circle.

Then he would wake up. This was the tenth time he had this nightmare, and each time it occurred he had to restrain himself from picking up the phone and calling Riza just to confirm she was ok. But he couldn't, not with Bradley keeping such a close eye on her.

Rolling over in bed, Roy desperately hoped this nightmare, this premonition, would never come true.

He didn't know what he would do if it did. Die maybe?

He did know that if he ever found himself in a room with Riza, Scar, and numerous goons, he would run away as fast as he could.

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End Note: And that is all. I actually typed this while waiting for one of my classes to start, I was a bit early today.

Review Please!


	29. 17: Scars

Author Note: I wasn't really sure what to do for this one, so I decided to try something new. Please don't kill me. R&R Please

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

**Roy**

_Riza_

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**He knows ever scar on her body**

_She knows every scar on his body_

**The one on her neck, caused by his carelessness**

_The one on his side, caused by her carelessness_

**He still remembers desperately attempting to reach her**

_She felt despair, rage, and hate, believing he was dead_

**He was relieved when Mei appeared to heal her**

_When he arrived with a new scar and a determined look, she was relieved_

**But it only happened in the first place because he got caught**

_But it only happened in the first place because she allowed them to split up_

**Then there is the burn scar on her back**

_Then there is the bullet wound on his shoulder_

**From that dreary day in Ishval**

_From when he startled her on the streets_

**He didn't want to do it, but if it would put her at peace…**

_It was an accident, she didn't mean to shoot him_

**He did it anyway**

_She shot anyway_

**Afterwards, she refused to go to the hospital; someone may have recognized what was left of the array**

_Afterward, he blatantly refused to go to the hospital; they might get suspicious_

**The only doctor they could trust was…**

_The only doctor who would keep his mouth shut and not spread rumors was…_

**Dr. Knox**

_Dr. Knox_

**He knew Dr. Knox from the experiments they were forced to work on together.**

_She remembered Dr. Knox had helped with her back._

**The doctor answered the door and said, "What have you done now?"**

_Knox looked into her slightly panicking gaze and asked, "What has that fool done this time?"_

**As Knox worked on her back, the guilt set in**

_As Dr. Knox worked on his shoulder, the guilt set in_

**This was all his fault**

_This was all her fault_

**Then there were the emotional scars he had cost her**

_She couldn't help but think about his emotional scars_

**He had dragged her to war, leaving her a scar of despair and terror**

_She had given him flame alchemy, which only caused him grief_

**He was working to help heal these scars**

_She spent time every day helping heal his scars_

**But he knows**

_But she knows_

_**No matter what happens, no matter if their scars fade or if they gain more, they will be forever connected.**_

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End Note: Was it any good? Was it too repetitive? Was it just stupid? I really don't know.

Review Please!


	30. 45: Awakening

Author Note: Until I finish the other Royai story I am working on, this one will receive no more updates after this one. But since there is only one more chapter left, it should only be about a week and a half until it is finished. R&R please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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It was 8:30 in the morning and Roy Mustang had just woken up. As he opened his eyes and stretched his arms, he listened for the familiar sound of the phone ringing. But he couldn't her it and he blinked a few times in confusion.

Riza usually called every day at 8:30 to wake him up. For some reason, she hadn't yet, but he woke up anyway.

After a few more moments of rest, he pulled himself out of bed; he was already awake, so he might as well get up. He changed into his uniform at 8:35 and wondered, once again, why Riza hadn't called.

Maybe she wasn't near a telephone or maybe she had slept in for once. At 8:48, Roy ate a bowl of cereal and his list of reasons for the absent call grew. Maybe she was in an early meeting or she was walking Black Hayate.

At 8:55 Roy climbed into his car; after finishing his cereal he had quickly brushed his hair and teeth before deciding to head to work early. He was worried about Riza; she may have been attacked or been incapacitated in some way. He knew he was being illogical, but there had to be a reason she hadn't called.

Roy's drive to headquarters, a drive which should have taken him 15 minutes, only took five. He had worked himself into a slightly panicked frenzy, deathly afraid something terrible had happened to his favorite subordinate.

He kept his expression level after he parked his car and strode briskly towards his office. A few lower ranked soldiers saluted as he passed, but he ignored them.

When Roy arrived at the office his subordinates worked in, he threw the doors open hastily. Nobody in the room even looked up as he entered the room and glanced over its occupants.

Fuery was tinkering with a radio in one corner, Breda was near him eating a bagel, and Havoc, Falman, and Riza were all huddled around her desk. Roy's heart rate immediately slowed as he laid eyes on Riza, glancing her over quickly for any blatant injuries.

Slightly surprised nobody had noticed his presence yet, even though the whole office had their back to him, Roy approached the group of three; he still had to ask Riza why she hadn't called.

He was only a few feet away from the group when Riza turned around to face him.

"Good morning Colonel," she greeted him. It was 9:03.

Roy responded, failing to notice Havoc's astonished glare, "Morning Lieutenant. What time did you get here today?"

"Hmm," Riza thought about it for a moment, "8 o-clock as usual sir."

"Really," Roy deadpanned, "Any reason you didn't call me this morning, since you were at the office and all?"

"Just a little test sir, though it wasn't my idea," Riza said as she glanced pointedly at Havoc. "Though it has seemed to work out, since you arrived to work two hours earlier than you normally do." She grinned subtly, rather amused with the situation.

Roy, on the other hand, was not amused. "Well don't do it again. I was… never mind." He glared at Havoc as if stumbling over his words was the other man's fault. "Get back to work, all of you!" Roy growled out at the slight crowd of his subordinates, and the command was quickly and efficiently followed.

A few seconds later, only Riza remained within five feet of Roy.

She was the only one who picked up on what he was trying to say with his fumbled words.

"You know sir," she said quietly, "If you were worried, you could have just called."

Sometime in the future, in an incident when Roy felt an unnerving chill up his spine and bought a ton of flowers, he would do just that.

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End Note: This took forever to type up, mostly because finals were in the middle of it. But I passed, so yay. I have officially survived my first semester of college. And am 30% of the way through this challenge!

Happy Holidays!

Please Review!


	31. 42: Day Off

Author Note: So when I started this one, it was going to be something completely different from this. After a few sentences of writing I erased all of it and switched over to a completely different story line. It's kind of funny that this turned out to be one of the longest one-shots in this collection so far. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Warnings: None that I can think of. Might not be terribly Royai… or in character… Takes place right after the incident with Maria Ross.

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My original assignment in Colonel Mustang's office was only three days long. Normally, I did a desk job in the Fuhrers office, but since nearly all of Mustang's subordinates were on field assignment or vacation I was temporarily assigned to his office with a few others.

The news came in the form of a note left on my desk, and I quickly started gathering my supplies after I read it. My whole body tensed up as the Fuhrer opened the door from his separate office and strode over to me.

"Fuhrer, Sir" I saluted, snapping to attention.

"Sergeant," he nodded at me firmly, "Good luck at Mustang's office." He took a step closer, hovering over my desk slightly and said quietly, "Keep an eye on him for me, there is something strange about how he has his subordinates assigned right now."

"Yes Sir!" I exclaimed, saluting again.

"Good, dismissed." He turned and walked away as I gathered my last few pens. I had them all stuffed in a zip lock bag, which I promptly carried across headquarters to my new temporary office. It was only a few minute stroll, and I paused outside the door. I didn't know how kindly Colonel Mustang would take to me barging in, so I knocked politely.

A female voice called, "Come in." I pushed the door open, taking in my surroundings with a blank face. A few more soldiers from the Fuhrers office were sitting at desks scribbling away at paperwork. Facing me was a female soldier who I had never met before.

She had her bright blonde hair pinned up and was wearing a Lieutenants insignia. I saluted, since the Lieutenant outranked me.

"At ease," she said, "my name is 1st Lieutenant Hawkeye and I will be your commanding officer while Colonel Mustang is out of the office. Your desk will be the one in the corner, the paperwork is already there, and if you have any questions feel free to ask."

"Yes Sir."

"Dismissed."

We separated and I turned to look at my temporary desk. I nearly stumbled when I saw it, but managed to maintain my composure. It was loaded with numerous stacks of paper all a foot over my head. I didn't know how I missed it when I first arrived.

Shaking my head slightly, I gingerly stepped around the fragile mountain and sat down in my military issue chair. Then I stood up, reached the first piece of paper, and started working. After about two hours of mind numbing paperwork, my signing was interrupted.

I heard the sound of a door, so I poked my head around the stack to see what was happening. The Colonel had returned. He shared a few words with 1st Lieutenant Hawkeye before walking towards my desk.

I hastily retracted my head so he wouldn't know I'd been watching. But I did notice something strange; while the Colonel seemed rather relaxed, the 1st Lieutenant was glaring holes into him. It was a little disconcerting.

"Sorry about this." I heard the Colonels voice on the other side of my desk, "I will take some of this off your hands."

"Alright Sir." I got up to help him move the papers. "Do you need my aid?"

"Oh no, " I could practically hear him shake his head, "It is mostly my paperwork, after all, and I wouldn't want to put you out like that. Besides, Hawkeye will yell at me."  
"Very well sir," I said flatly as I sat back down. As I placed my pen back on the page, I heard the Colonel calling to another soldier in the office.

"Lieutenant!" he yelled across the room. "Do you think you could help me with this?"

"Colonel…" Her voice sounded monotone and slightly annoyed.

"Please Lieutenant," the Colonel cut off what was sure to be a refusal. "I know you don't owe me any favors, but since you put the stack of paper on this desk the least you could do is help me put it back."

"Fine." The 1st Lieutenants tone lightened with amusement. I was confused; not a single sheet of paper in this stack was any semblance of amusing.

Then, all of the sudden, I could see the rest of the office. The middle stack of paper had been removed, only leaving me the ones on the sides of my desk. The stack was currently being sorted on the other side of the room.

I picked up my pen and, once again, returned to my work. This lasted a few hours with relatively few interruptions, excluding minor instances of the Colonel sleeping in his chair. I made sure to stick around after the Colonel in case he decided to do anything suspicious.

Luckily for me, he left early to go on a date so I got to go early too. Actually, the only soldier not to leave early was 1st Lieutenant Hawkeye. We tried to get her to head out with us, but she said she wouldn't stay that late so we let her be.

The next day at the office was highly similar to the one that came before. I didn't have quite as much paperwork to do, so it was slightly more relaxed. The real major change came at the end of the day.

"I'm requesting tomorrow off, Sir." When I heard the 1st Lieutenants voice, I perked my ears and looked up from my paperwork. She was standing at attention on front of the Colonels desk, her amber eyes gazing at him intently. He was seated and looking back at her, seeming to ponder the idea.

"Alright," he said firmly, "But just one day though. I don't know what I will do without my aide." He said the last sentence with a boyish grin.

The 1st Lieutenant was not smiling. "Yes Sir." She saluted and, after being dismissed, strode briskly out of the office. The door slammed behind her and I looked toward the Colonel to see his reaction. His grin transformed from boyish to smug as he signed his paperwork in the light of the vibrant orange sunset. He seemed to notice this the same moment I did and vacated his chair immediately.

"Well men," he addressed all of us temps, "See you tomorrow."

I bid him farewell and packed my things up to head home as well. Nothing eventful happened so far, so I wasn't sure why Fuhrer Bradley told me to keep an eye on the Colonel in the first place. But I trusted his judgment, and his orders, so I kept at it and made sure to leave after the Colonel was gone. I didn't realize the next day would be the one where my observing would come to fruition.

The next morning I arrived at work before the Colonel. In fact, he did not saunter in until three hours later. Once he was settled, all he did was pick up the phone and call some Elizabeth woman. I couldn't believe it. This was what he did when 1st. Lieutenant Hawkeye took a day off?

There was nothing I could do about it; the Colonel was a higher rank than me. I just contented myself with glaring at him as he blatantly avoided work. This continued all day long. He must have really liked this Elizabeth, because he was on the phone with her the entire time.

At about 7-o:clock, Colonel Mustang and I were the only two left in the office. The stack on my desk grew over my head again and I frantically scribbled to tame it. The Colonel was still talking on the phone, but his tone suddenly shifted from flirting to panic.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" He shouted into the receiver, "Damn it all!" He leaped out of his chair, knocking it to the ground. Rushing out of the office, he didn't even notice my presence. As the door slammed behind him, I blinked a few times in surprise. After a few moments, I decided to report this incident to the Fuhrer; it was strange.

I stepped over to the Colonel's phone and made the call from it. "Fuhrer Sir," I said once I was connected with King Bradley, keeping my voice level, "Colonel Mustang just stormed out of here in a big hurry after yelling on his phone about some Elizabeth."

"Very good Sergeant," The Fuhrer responded back lightly, as if amused, "Your service will be noted."

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End Note: I am so sorry this took so long. Class and work and life all got in the way of writing and typing this. Please forgive me, I will try to update more consistently.

Review Please


	32. 40: Halves

Author Note: So I am working on writing and posting more consistently. I am planning on writing one chapter for this story every week until it is finished. So here is theme 40: Halves. R&R please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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It was a cloudy day in Central when Roy and Riza shared a few cups of tea at their favorite café. The rain hadn't arrived yet, but it was imminent. The pair sat in the back left corner, slightly obscured by the shadows.

"Have you been in contact with any of the others?" Roy asked, sipping his tea slowly.

"No Sir," Riza shook her head, "I saw them all last when they boarded their trains yesterday." She nursed a cup of coffee instead of tea.

"Well," he set his cup on the table, "I'll be quiet in the office tomorrow." Despite the white noise in the café, the sentence seemed to echo eerily.

"You should be careful," Riza said quietly, mimicking Roy's motion. "The new subordinates assigned to you could be trouble."

"Yeah," Roy leaned back in his chair, glancing around the café. "Who knows what kind of people are going to be put in my office?" He chuckled lightly.

Riza's eyes narrowed, "Don't die, Sir."

Roy stopped chuckling. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

Their eyes met for a moment.

"No," Riza stated bluntly, "It's not." She rose from her chair abruptly, "I have to go, Black Hayate needs to be walked. Goodbye Colonel."

She dropped a few coins on the table and strode away before Roy could get a word in edgewise. He had no idea, she thought to herself, no idea that if he died, there was no way she could move on. She already spent half her life following him and would continue to do so, even to hell.

But he didn't want her to follow him to hell, he wanted her to live.

Roy glared at the empty chair.

She didn't seem to understand, he wouldn't make it to Fuhrer if she died. He probably wouldn't even make it one more week.

They were two halves of the same whole; where one went, the other followed.

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End note: I'm kind of worried about this one, it seems a bit rushed. But it is long enough to get the point across. Thanks for reading!

Review Please


	33. 51: Embracing From the Back

Author Note: Hey everybody, I actually am updating on time! Though I am not sure if it works for the theme, or is shippy enough, here is 51: Embrace from Behind.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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As I stood at the podium, I gazed at the faces in the crowd. Most were Amestrian soldiers, but a few stood out as Ishvalan citizens. The appraised me with what seemed to be mild distaste. I hoped to change that.

The sun beat down and cast waves of heat across the area.

Some sand blew across the makeshift stage as Breda signaled for me to start.

I took a deep breath.

"Residents of Amestris," I addressed them, "Citizens and soldiers alike, I come before you today to announce the planned restoration of Ishval." Nobody reacted, so I continued. "It is our goal to restore Ishval to its former glory and make it a safe place for any Ishvalans who wish to live here or anywhere else in Amestris. I…"

I stumbled over my words as a pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind. They dragged me to the ground in an instant despite my struggling to stay on my feet.

"Stay down General." A familiar voice commanded from behind my right ear. I made eye contact with Hawkeye as she released me. Her amber eyes were narrowed and her lips tightened into a frown.

"What happened?" I questioned her quietly as she edged around me and opened the small compartment on the podium. She removed a scope and a sandy colored blanket out of it, thrusting the blanket into my grasp.

"A sniper." She set her scope on the podium, glancing through it quickly. "Cover yourself with that, it will help disguise you."

I looked at the blanket in my hands, judging it slowly. It was for a twin sized bed and would blend in well with the sand on the stage. It was big enough to cover two.

"We can both use it." I declared, still quite enough that the microphone wouldn't pick me up. Riza looked back from her scope and nearly protested, but I cut her off. "Don't force me to make that an order."

"Yes Sir." She sighed as I threw the blanket over her head, cutting off her contact from the scope. "It should only be a few minutes," she continued, "Havoc is closing in on the sniper's location."

Despite our escape from the sun's rays, the heat under the blanket was still unbearable. Even though we only sat under it for a few minutes, I was ready to burn that blanket to a crisp. But, since it was keeping me away from enemy eyes, burning it probably would have been a bad idea.

"We might have to reschedule the speech." I chuckled, but Riza just glared at me. She sat right behind the podium, and though I wanted to switch spots from her I refrained from mentioning it.

She, always more composed than I, didn't show any signs of discomfort. She did not move from her seat until we heard a soldier shout the signal that the sniper had been captured. Her posture did not loosed as she abandoned me under the blanket to look through her scope once again.

It was only our first day back in Ishval, but boy was it long.

Though many soldiers remember it for the sniper hunt and having to rescue their General from a blanket, I will always remember it as the first time Riza embraced me from behind, even if it wasn't in the manner I imagined.

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End note: It didn't turn out how I originally wrote it, but that's ok. At least now there is that nice new comment box for all of you to simply type in then click send. It seems like it may work better than the pop up review box, but only time will tell.

Review Please!


	34. 90: Hidden Expressions  Hidden Feelings

Author Note: Happy 4th of July, fellow Americans. Thank you Baxter54132 and Dancing Shadows Alchemist for reviewing the last chapter, you guys put me at 100 reviews! Since I have so much free time today, I felt the urge to type up the next theme. R&R

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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I follow behind him, always two paces back and one to the right. I keep my face blank and my emotions concealed.

Happiness shared in childhood. All of the time spent walking back and forth from my school and sharing secrets with each other.

Horror in Ishbal. The bloodstained battlefield. Night after night of nightmares. None of it shows on his face either.

Loyalty to his dreams. Hours spent plotting how to get him promoted faster and forcing him to do paperwork.

Fear that accomplishing his dreams may kill him, but pushing forward regardless.

Love for the fool beneath the uniform, making sure he eats proper meals and keeps his apartment in order. Protecting his back and keeping him breathing. He does the same for me, despite my silent protests.

It is worth it when, every once in a while, he looks back to me and I allow myself a small smile. He smiles back.

I wait for the day when we will no longer have to hide our emotions, where I can walk by his side instead of a few paces behind.

I feel it is coming soon.

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End note: So I know it is short, but I thought about it for a long time and like this drabble format for it. All you have to do is fill in that little box below to tell me how you feel about it.

Review Please


	35. 41: Coat

Author Note: I am sorry this took so long; I got sidetracked by real life. I also am mourning the loss of over six thousand of my archived words. Fanfiction is recounting all of the words in all of the stories on the website, and all of them have less than they did before. This story lost a couple thousand.

Theme 41: Coat

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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As Ed crouched in the alleyway, he realized how lucky he was that both he and Al were still alive. He also noticed he could no longer feel the rain on his shoulders, but fabric instead.

He turned from Al, looking over his shoulder. 1st Lieutenant Hawekeye stood behind him, a small smile on her face. Her jacket, Ed figured out, was draped over his own shoulders. The black turtle neck she wore under it was a bit more form fitting…

Ed flushed and glanced away, muttering a quick thanks. She nodded and helped him to his feet as 2nd Lieutenant Havoc heaved Al off the wall. The pair hobbled towards a military car, metal screeching and clanking the whole way. Another MP scooped up the lost arm and hovered behind, ready to catch anything else that might fall off.

Ed, once standing on his own two feet without support, followed as well with Hawkeye by his side.

"You guys really saved us back there," He said quietly, "So make sure to tell the Colonel I said thanks."

Her gaze softened, "Alright."

The rain continued to fall as they moved to the car Al was in. The door was still open on the back seat so Ed could join him. "Oh yeah," he paused in front of the door and used his good arm to take the coat off. "Thank you."

Hawkeye took it gently from his grasp. "You're welcome. See you back at HQ."

Ed nodded and sat in the car, pulling the door shut behind him. He watched out the window as the 1st Lieutenant put her jacket back on before striding over to the Colonel and glaring at him slightly. The Colonel shrugged and grinned despite her scowl.

Ed laughed under his breath; Al and he weren't the only ones to come close to death that day, and there was no way Hawkeye would let the Colonel forget it.

Even though it made absolutely no sense, Ed felt a little triumphed over the Colonel; she never lent him her coat.

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End note: So it's not really that shippy, but I think it works. Cookies to anyone who knows when it takes place.

Please Review!


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